Politics

(NEW YORK) — Gov. Andrew Cuomo sent shockwaves across New York when he resigned on Tuesday.

But the 63-year-old Democratic stalwart still faces potential legal challenges, investigations and a potential impeachment as he scrambles to formulate a path forward.

Does Cuomo still have a chance to run for a fourth term as governor and save his reputation? His murky future may get a bit clearer over the next few weeks.

He conceded to a landslide of calls for him to resign from state politicians and President Joe Biden in wake of the State Attorney General Letitia James’ office’s withering report that substantiated the claims of 11 women against him and found he created a work environment “rife with fear and intimidation.”

He issued an apology to his accusers, but he also denied all allegations of sexual harassment, concluding on Tuesday: “I think, given the circumstances, the best way I can help now is if I step aside.”

Basil Smikle, a political strategist and lecturer at Columbia’s School of International Public Affairs, told ABC News that Cuomo “wanted to go out on his own terms” after he “nearly ran out of friends and allies inside and outside government and after it seemed clear if he didn’t resign he’d be pushed out via impeachment.”

Impeachment: Justice or vengeance?

His resignation takes effect on Aug. 24 and Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul will take over, becoming the first female governor of New York.

Now the New York Assembly’s Judiciary Committee has to decide whether to move forward with an impeachment investigation.

“While we have the legal ability to still continue, what we have to analyze is what is best for the people of New York,” Assemblywoman and Judiciary Committee Democrat Catalina Cruz told ABC New York station WABC. “Do we want to take the extra step? Is it going to feel like wasted energy and more of a political revenge? Or is it going to really feel like justice? That’s a determination we’ll make on the committee together.”

Cruz said she’s concerned about focusing on local issues — vaccines and food pantries among them — but at the same time, “I also recognize as a survivor, that we got to give people justice. So, in full honestly, I’m a little torn.”

The Assembly’s Judiciary Committee is slated to meet Monday ​to discuss evidence gathered by the outside law firm that handled the probe.

An impeachment trial could result in the Assembly handing down a sentence that will bar him from holding state office again, but he still could run for federal office.

The office for Assemblyman Charles Lavine, the judiciary committee chairman, said on Monday that if the governor did resign, the Assembly would still consider moving forward simply to bar Cuomo from holding state office again, Spectrum Local News reported.

ABC News Legal Analyst Dan Abrams said on Good Morning America Wednesday it’s unlikely the Assembly would want to pursue an impeachment.

“The purpose of it would be to prevent him from holding public office again. They could go through the public impeachment process, have the trial, in an effort to make sure he can’t run for office again,” Abrams said. “I can’t imagine they’re going to have the political will to move forward with that entire process even though the governor has already resigned.”

Some Assembly members like Mary Beth Walsh and Yuh-Line Niou have voiced support for proceeding with it.

“Impeachment means Governor Cuomo will not be able to run for office again by claiming to be the victim and gaslighting the true victims. Impeachment means securing justice for all those who came forward and all those who have yet to come forward,” Niou said in a statement.

Smikle, the political strategist, said he believes Cuomo will be impeached.

“I think the Assembly and the Senate are very focused on accountability,” he added. “In the in many ways, I think the governor wants to be able to resign and have all of these other investigations stopped.”

What charges could Cuomo face?

Cuomo is under investigation by the Albany County sheriff’s department, which is probing the allegations of accuser Brittany Commisso, 32, who filed a complaint against him there last week.

She was identified as “Executive Assistant #1” in the attorney general’s report. She alleged the governor groped her backside on New Year’s Eve in 2019 and reached under her blouse and groped her breast at the Executive Mansion in November 2020. He and attorney Rita Glavin have vehemently denied those claims.

“He is 63 years old. He has spent 40 years in public life, and for him to all of a sudden be accused of a sexual assault of an executive assistant that he really doesn’t know, doesn’t pass muster,” Glavin said in a press conference Friday. On Tuesday, she claimed James’ report failed to corroborate all of Commisso’s claims.

Experts have said Cuomo could face a misdemeanor criminal charge in that case.

An attorney for Lindsey Boylan, Cuomo’s former aide who was the first to publicly accuse him, said she’d file a lawsuit for alleged retaliatory actions by Cuomo’s office after she came forward, which were outlined in the report. Cuomo and his attorneys also have denied these allegations.

At a press conference Tuesday, Glavin denied the sexual harassment and retaliation claims and alleged Boylan had a personal vendetta against Cuomo. She said the attorney general’s report “got key facts wrong” and failed to include a witnesses whose testimony “did not support the narrative.”

At least five district attorneys — Manhattan, Albany, Nassau, Westchester and Oswego counties — also are investigating allegations of sexual harassment mentioned in the report.

Additionally, Cuomo remains under investigation regarding whether he misused government resources by having staffers help produce his memoir, and the Brooklyn U.S. Attorney’s Office and the FBI are looking into his handling of data linked to nursing home deaths during the pandemic.

His future

As for Cuomo’s political future, it may be too soon to tell.

Karen Agnifilo, a former prosecutor with the Manhattan district attorney’s office who worked under Cy Vance, told ABC News, “Like all people, he’s not all good or all bad.”

“There are a lot of things that he has done that deserve to be a part of his legacy. Marriage equality, I would say, is one of the most momentous things that he was able to accomplish,” she said. “I think for him to have a political future he’s going to have to admit what he did. He’s still denying it.”

Smikle said Cuomo’s political prospects are dim.

“Politically, I don’t think he has a future by the voters of the state. Certainly, the political leadership of the state that refused to stand with him in these final days want to be able to turn the page on his chapter as governor,” he said. Cuomo could pursue an alternate career as a lawyer, but “if there are criminal charges pending, there’s a potential for him to lose his law license.”

Cuomo’s also seemingly lost support from many in his inner circle.

His top aide, Melissa DeRosa, announced her resignation Sunday. She was also accused in the report of allegedly participating in retaliatory actions against Boylan.

Sean Hacker, an attorney for DeRosa, said in a statement to ABC News: “With respect to legal questions relating to how a complaint should be handled, or whether personnel records could be provided to the public, Ms. DeRosa consulted with and relied upon advice of experienced counsel.”

Jay Jacobs, the head of New York’s Democratic Party and formerly a close Cuomo ally, said last week: “I agree with the attorney general. I believe the women. I believe the allegations. I cannot speak to the governor’s motivations. What I can say is that the governor has lost his ability to govern, both practically and morally.”

Cuomo, who is single and divorced, also will have to find a new home. He previously lived with ex-girlfriend Sandra Lee, a TV Chef, in Mount Kisco, New York, but she sold the home in 2020 following their 2019 split.

ABC News’ Aaron Katersky contributed to this report.

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(NEW YORK) — YouTube has suspended Republican Sen. Rand Paul of Kentucky from uploading content for one week after he posted a video claiming most masks are ineffective in combating COVID-19, making him the second GOP lawmaker this week to be disciplined by a social media platform for misinformation.

Public health experts have said masks, even cloth masks, which Paul took particular issue with, offer protection against COVID-19 transmission, which in turn prevents infection. But Paul claimed in the video, “cloth masks don’t work,” and that most over-the-counter masks “don’t prevent infection,” according to YouTube, which it said violated its policies against spreading COVID-19 medical misinformation.

“This resulted in a first strike on the channel, which means it can’t upload content for a week, per our longstanding three strikes policy,” a YouTube spokesperson said in a statement. “We apply our policies consistently across the platform, regardless of speaker or political views, and we make exceptions for videos that have additional context such as countervailing views from local health authorities.”

According to YouTube, it will remove content that includes claims that masks don’t work to prevent contracting or spreading COVID-19 in order to protect users from content that poses real-world harm.

The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s latest masking recommendation is that everyone in areas with substantial or high levels of transmission — vaccinated or not — wear a mask in public, indoor settings.

After the media giant sanctioned Paul on Monday, the Kentucky senator fired back against the decision in a tweet on Tuesday, calling the suspension a “badge of honor.”

He also blasted the ban in a press release, but conceded he believes that private companies should have “the right to ban me if they want to.”

“I think this kind of censorship is very dangerous, incredibly anti-free speech, and truly anti-progress of science, which involves skepticism and argumentation to arrive at the truth,” the release began.

“As a libertarian leaning Senator, I think private companies have the right to ban me if they want to, so in this case I’ll just channel that frustration into ensuring the public knows YouTube is acting as an arm of government and censoring their users for contradicting the government,” he continued, without evidence.

Paul, who holds a medical degree, has feuded with public health experts from the start of the pandemic including the nation’s top infectious disease expert Dr. Anthony Fauci.

He’s also the second Republican lawmaker this week to get suspended from a major social media platform after spreading COVID-19 misinformation.

Twitter took action against Georgia Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s account on Tuesday for COVID-19 misinformation via a one-week suspension, downgrading her account into “read only” mode.

While Greene tweeted on Monday the vaccines were “failing,” data shows that nearly all COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in recent weeks have been among the unvaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.

Public health experts continue to warn that vaccinations are the most effective ways to curb the spread of the coronavirus and the highly contagious delta variant.

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(WASHINGTON) — Democrats were quick to celebrate rare back-to-back victories when the Senate approved both a $1.1 trillion infrastructure bill and an additional $3.5 trillion package piled high with progressive priorities just before adjourning for recess on Wednesday – but it’s a rocky road ahead before either bill makes it to the president’s desk to be signed into law. The House is expected to return the week of Aug. 23 to vote on the $3.5 trillion budget resolution that paves the way for Congress to squeak out a behemoth package filled to the brim with social and progressive priorities, including combating climate change, funding universal pre-K, and reforming immigration law – but unlike the bipartisan infrastructure bill, this one with zero Republican support.

Once the resolution is passed, committees in both the House and Senate will begin their work drafting policy and legislation that will eventually become what’s called a “reconciliation” bill that can clear the Senate with just a simple majority.

The House is not expected, though, to vote on the $1.1 trillion infrastructure bill that passed with bipartisan support in the Senate when the chamber returns in late August.

House Speaker Nancy Pelosi has vowed to hold on to that bill until the lower chamber gets the larger reconciliation bill from the Senate, which could take weeks, if not months, to be finalized.

“I am not freelancing. This is the consensus,” Pelosi told colleagues on a Democratic caucus call Wednesday afternoon, according to sources.

“The president has said he’s all for the bipartisan approach … bravo! That’s progress, but it ain’t the whole vision,” Pelosi said.

“The votes in the House and Senate depend on us having both bills,” she added.

But there are some fractures in the Democratic caucus when it comes to the fate of those bills. Democrats have just a three-seat majority in the House. Any handful of members can be potential roadblocks if they are determined enough to challenge Pelosi and the White House.

Moderate Democrats and Republicans in the House have rallied behind the bipartisan $1.1 trillion infrastructure agreement in the Senate and are among its most vocal supporters in the chamber, but they want Pelosi and Democratic leaders to put the Senate bill on the floor without changes, so it can pass quickly and head to President Biden’s desk.

“This once-in-a-century investment deserves its own consideration, without regard to other legislation,” Rep. Josh Gottheimer, D-N.J., and other members wrote in a letter to Pelosi.

Progressives, however, have grumbled about the size and scope of the Senate-approved bill. They wanted to “go big” on infrastructure – anywhere from $6 to $10 trillion – and are still privately pushing for changes to the Senate bill or reconciling it with a similar House bill crafted by the chairman of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure.

Democrats will also have to contend with members of their own party, namely Sens. Joe Manchin of West Virginia and Kyrsten Sinema of Arizona, both of whom have expressed reservations about the price tag of the larger reconciliation bill.

On Wednesday, Manchin released a statement hailing the bipartisan infrastructure agreement in the Senate, but he poured cold water on progressive aspirations for the $3.5 trillion bill.

My statement raising concerns about the consequences of passing a $3.5 trillion budget: pic.twitter.com/gGsEXcVTxd

— Senator Joe Manchin (@Sen_JoeManchin) August 11, 2021

“Early this morning, I voted ‘YES’ on a procedural vote to move forward on the budget reconciliation process because I believe it is important to discuss the fiscal policy future of this country,” Manchin, D-W.Va., said in a statement. “However, I have serious concerns about the grave consequences facing West Virginians and every American family if Congress decides to spend another $3.5 trillion.”

The White House said Wednesday President Joe Biden was “comfortable” with the $3.5 trillion price tag, but did not rule out negotiating the cost.

Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer was asked about Manchin’s remarks at a press conference Wednesday, and he expressed optimism that Democrats will stand united and suggested Democrats will not consider lowering the price tag in the end.

“There are some in my caucus who might believe it’s too much there are some in my caucus who might believe it’s too little,” Schumer, D-N.Y., said. “I can tell you this: in reconciliation, one, we are going to all come together to get something done and two, it will have every part of the Biden plan in a big bold robust way.”

Schumer added that it will “absolutely not” “be easy,” but said “every member of our caucus realizes that unity is our strength … we have to come together.”

“This was one of the most significant legislative days we’ve had in a long time in the U.S. Senate, but we still have a long road to travel. It’s as if we caught a pass, a nice long pass at midfield – but we’ve still got 50 yards to go before we score a touchdown,” Schumer said.

As lawmakers wrestle these two massive bills through Congress when they return from recess, they will also have to pass a bill to fund the government and raise the debt ceiling before the end of September.

U.S. Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Monday urged Congress to raise the national debt limit through bipartisan action.

Schumer on Wednesday said he did not believe Republicans would let the U.S. default on its debt as the government approaches it current borrowing capacity.

“I cannot believe the Republicans will let the country default, and it has always been bipartisan to deal with the debt ceiling,” Schumer told reporters, noting Democrats backed debt limit increases three times under former Republican President Donald Trump.

46 Republican senators signed onto a letter this week affirming that they will not vote to raise the debt ceiling.

“Our friends across the aisle should not expect traditional bipartisan borrowing to finance their nontraditional reckless taxing and spending spree,” Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell said on the Senate floor Monday. “That’s not how this works.”

ABC News’ Trish Turner contributed to this report.

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(ALBANY, N.Y.) — Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, who will make history as New York’s first female governor, laid out her vision for the Empire State in her first address to the public since Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced his resignation.

Hochul told reporters Wednesday she will “fight like hell” for all New Yorkers. She said she has already spoken with state legislative leaders and other community groups as she plans to take office and tackle ongoing issues such as the coronavirus pandemic and economic recovery.

“People will soon learn that my style is to listen first and then take decisive action,” Hochul said.

Hochul, 62, is slated to assume office on Aug. 24, when Cuomo officially steps down. She will serve the remainder of Cuomo’s term, which ends Jan. 1, 2023.

Cuomo announced his resignation a week after a report by the state attorney general’s office found that he sexually harassed 11 staffers.

Hochul, who said she and the governor were not close, made it clear that she would not retain any member of Cuomo’s staff who was accused in the report of unethical behavior.

“No one will ever describe my administration as a toxic work environment,” she said.

Hochul said she will announce her choice for lieutenant governor in the coming weeks and didn’t indicate if she will run for another term.

Getting New York through the pandemic is her top priority and raising the vaccination rates in the communities that are lagging, she said.

“The delta variant is still raging and it’s going to take all of us to defeat it,” she said.

As of Wednesday, 64% of all New York state residents had received one shot, the state’s health department said.

The Buffalo native has served as the state’s lieutenant governor since 2015.

She previously served as a member of the U.S. House of Representatives.

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(TALLAHASSEE, Fla.) — Florida’s education commissioner told the leaders of three school districts this week that he is investigating them for “non-compliance” after they defied state rules by refusing to let parents opt out of mask requirements for their children.

In letters sent to the leaders of the Alachua, Broward and Leon districts and obtained by ABC News, the commissioner, Richard Corcoran, threatened to withhold money from their salaries and gave them deadlines to respond with a plan “to remedy this glaring non-compliance.”

“There is no room for error or leniency when it comes to ensuring compliance with policies that allow parents and guardians to make health and educational choices for their children,” Corcoran wrote.

Alachua and Broward Counties have shown no indication of budging despite Corcoran’s threat.

Alachua County Public School’s website has not updated its mask policy, even though the district’s deadline to respond to Corcoran was Tuesday at 5 p.m.

Broward County Public Schools has directed its lawyers to challenge the ban on mask mandates, Rosalind Osgood, the chair of the school board, said in a press conference Tuesday.

Osgood spoke to the ABC News podcast “Start Here” and expressed her determination to stand up to the state’s threats.

“I personally can’t be bullied into parochial self-interest to make a decision where I put myself ahead of the lives of other people,” Osgood said in the interview, which aired Wednesday. “There is no monetary value that you can put on somebody’s life.”

Meanwhile, Leon County Schools caved to the state’s pressure, announcing at a board meeting Tuesday that it will now allow parents to opt their children out of wearing masks without giving a reason. The board said the opt out form will go home with students today.

Last Friday, the Florida Department of Health issued an emergency rule that ordered districts requiring masks to let parents opt out without providing a reason.

As punishment, the state “could move to withhold the salary of the district superintendent or school board members,” Governor Ron DeSantis’ press secretary, Christina Pushaw, said Monday.

The mask saga has bled into the start of the school year for some districts in the state. Students in Alachua County returned to classrooms Tuesday, while students in Leon County return Wednesday. The first day of school in Broward County is Aug. 18.

This report was featured in the Wednesday, Aug. 11, 2021, episode of “Start Here,” ABC News’ daily news podcast.

“Start Here” offers a straightforward look at the day’s top stories in 20 minutes. Listen for free every weekday on Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts, Spotify, the ABC News app or wherever you get your podcasts.

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(WASHINGTON) — One year after Rep. Cori Bush, D-Mo., won her historic primary race, the congresswoman and Black Lives Matter activist won a battle waged on the steps of the U.S. Capitol based on her own life experiences.

Bush, a longtime community organizer in Ferguson, Missouri, galvanized a group of Democratic lawmakers in an overnight protest and camped outside the Capitol for five nights to draw attention to federal eviction moratorium and to compel her peers in Congress to understand an experience that for her, hit home.

“I’ve been evicted three times in my life — once following a violent domestic assault in which a former partner left me for dead. I’ve lived out of my car for months with my two babies. I’ve seen my belongings in trash bags along my backseat,” Bush wrote in a CNN op-ed published Aug. 6. “I know what that notice on the door means. Cold from the elements or wondering where I could find a bathroom, I’ve wondered who was speaking up in DC for people in my situation.”

According to a December 2020 study by Princeton University’s The Eviction Lab, eviction filings and eviction rates were significantly higher for Black renters than for white renters, while women — particularly Black and Latino female renters — and faced higher eviction rates than their male counterparts.

The freshman lawmaker was sworn into the 117th Congress in January, along with a record number of women and women of color. Bush was welcomed into the “the squad” — a group of progressive congresswomen of color that includes Reps. Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, Ilhan Omar, Rashida Tlaib and Ayanna Pressley — all of whom rallied with Bush in her eviction fight.

Omar, who is one of the first two Muslim women in Congress, told ABC News Live last week that her experience as a Somali refugee drove her to speak out.

“I spent the first night with Cori and Ayanna … because we, the three of us, know what it means to be unhoused,” the Minnesota Democrat said. “You know, I obviously fled conflict and was forcefully removed from my home and spent years in a refugee camp, but I know how deeply unsettling it is when you don’t have the comfort of your home.”

According to Nadia Brown, a professor of government and African American studies at Georgetown University, the eviction fight shows why “representation matters” because it highlights diverse experiences and stories that are historically rare on Capitol Hill.

“The optimistic part is, yes, that Congress has more people of color, has more queer people, the number of younger Congress people has increased; people that are first-generation has also increased. But it’s still overwhelmingly white, overwhelmingly male and overwhelmingly wealthy … but the reason why we’re paying attention to Ilhan Omar, to Cori Bush, it’s because they’re outliers,” she said.

Brown added that historically the identities of “activist” and “politician” were seen as separate but those identities converge in lawmakers like Bush and Omar who embrace their roots in activism in how they serve their constituents in Congress.

“This is something new,” Brown said. “I had the opportunity to interview Cori Bush back when she was an activist in Ferguson right? And she was very poignant when she shared that she’s filled a vacuum because the current leadership just wasn’t there.”

“People on the street trusted her [to] become this voice for them when elected officials weren’t. So I think it’s not just the tactic, it’s the ethos that’s different,” she added.

Progressive lawmakers like freshmen New York Reps. Mondaire Jones and Jamaal Bowman also participated in the protest on the Hill and as support grew, the group was soon joined by some moderate Democrats.

Ahead of the expiration of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention eviction moratorium, members of Congress traveled back to their districts for August recess, but Bush — the first Black woman to represent Missouri in Congress — stayed in the nation’s capital to resume the fight as millions of evictions loomed.

The Biden administration repeatedly argued that it does not have federal authority to extend the CDC eviction moratorium without Congress but as the protest on the Hill continued, pressure from progressive and some moderate Democrats mounted, culminating in an apparent reversal.

President Joe Biden announced on Aug. 3 that the CDC is extending the federal eviction moratorium for an additional 60 days in areas where there is substantial and high transmission of COVID-19, giving tenants an additional lifeline.

Top Democrats directly credited Bush and the colleagues who joined her on the steps of the Capitol for moving the needle by applying pressure on the federal government.

“You did this,” Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer said as he walked out to the steps of the Capitol and embraced Bush and Ocasio-Cortez amid the news.

“I applaud the CDC for imposing an eviction moratorium … I particularly applaud Rep. Cori Bush who understands what it’s like to be evicted and who took her passion and turned it into amazingly effective action,” Schumer said.

Asked about Bush’s role, Sen. Elizabeth Warren said the Missouri congresswoman has been “absolutely pivotal in getting real change.”

“She’s one woman who stood up and said, ‘I’m not moving.’ She testified from personal experience and said this is what it’s like to lose your home … and that was enough to capture the attention of a lot of people across this nation and a lot of people in this building and at the other end of Pennsylvania Avenue,” Warren said.

Bush gave a nod to her roots as an activist during emotional remarks outside the U.S. Capitol celebrating the development.

“Let’s be clear, activists are in Congress. So expect for things to be different,” Bush said, adding that progressives are “already gearing up” for the next fight in the eviction crisis.

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(WASHINGTON) — President Joe Biden on Tuesday marked the Senate’s passage of a bipartisan infrastructure plan earlier in the day with a White House speech touting the political win and thanking Republican senators who voted with Democrats for what he said was their “courage” to come together to strike a deal for the American people.

“After years and years of infrastructure week, we’re on the cusp of an infrastructure decade that I truly believe will transform America,” Biden said in triumphant remarks delivered from the White House East Room.

Biden praised the bipartisan negotiators, touching on themes from his candidacy — the idea that this 36-year veteran of the Senate could reinvigorate the bipartisan cooperation of an era gone by.

“I want to thank the group of senators, Democrats and Republicans, for doing what they told me they would do. The death of this legislation was mildly premature as reported. They said they were willing to work in a bipartisan manner. And I want to thank them for keeping their word. That’s just what they did,” Biden said.

The package, with $550 billion in new spending, will address core infrastructure needs. It includes $110 billion in new funds for roads and bridges, $66 billion for rail, $7.5 billion to build out electric vehicle charging stations, $17 billion for ports, $25 billion for airports, $55 billion for clean drinking water, a $65 billion investment in high-speed internet and more.

“This bill shows that we can work together,” he continued. “From the time I announced my candidacy, and bringing the country together, doing things in a bipartisan way, it was characterized as a relic of an earlier age. I never believed that, and still don’t.”

Biden also gave an unusual, specific shout-out to Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell, who voted with 18 other Republicans to pass the bill.

“I want to thank the Republican — Senate Republican leader Mitch McConnell for supporting this bill,” Biden said. “And special thanks to Senate Majority Leader Chuck Schumer. Your leadership, Chuck, in the Senate was masterful.”

But the bill is not close to becoming law yet.

Biden’s victory lap is somewhat premature given a weeks or months-long delay in final passage could lie ahead. Biden did note that there was still a lot of work to be done to get the bill on to his desk.

“Look, let’s be clear. The bill is far from down,” Biden continued. “The bill goes to the House of Representatives where I look forward to winning its approval. We have to get to work on the next critical piece of my agenda, my Build Back Better plan,” he said, referring to the need to have the House pass the bipartisan bill, while House Speaker Nancy Pelosi continues to insist she receive the $3.5 trillion Democratic budget bill before she will hold a vote on the bipartisan package.

Earlier, at the daily White House briefing, press secretary Jen Psaki was asked about pressure from some moderate House Democrats to hold an immediate vote.

“His message is that he remains committed to passing each of these pieces of legislation, on dual tracks. That he is going to work in lockstep with Speaker Pelosi, just as we have worked in lockstep with [Senate Majority] Leader Schumer, successfully over the last several weeks and months to get this done, and he is confident in the leadership, the strategic approach of Speaker Pelosi and looks forward to being her partner in the weeks ahead,” Psaki told reporters.

Still, Biden took every opportunity to tout this achievement, noting that the infrastructure bill passed the Senate with more bipartisan support than Federal Highway Act of 1956.

“America has often had the greatest prosperity and made the most progress when we invest in America itself. And that’s what this infrastructure bill does,” he added, praising the “overwhelming support” with which it passed. “A vote margin bigger than when the Interstate System passed in the United States Senate in 1956,” he said.

Biden also proudly pointed out that he had kept his promise not to raise taxes on those making less than $400,000 — and would benefit working class families the most.

“We’re going to do all of this by keeping my commitment. We will not raise taxes by one cent on people making less than $400,000 a year. Everyone from union to business leaders, to economists, left, right and center, believe the public investment contained in this bill will generate more jobs, higher productivity, higher growth for our economy over the long-term,” he insisted.

Vice President Kamala Harris spoke before the president, also extolling praise for the deal that moves the country “one step closer to making a once in a generation investment in our nation’s infrastructure,” and Biden, for his commitment to bipartisanship.

“Even when you sign the bill into law, our work will not stop,” she said.

After the Senate passed the $1.1 trillion bipartisan infrastructure bill by a vote of 69-30, with 19 Republicans joining Democrats, Schumer immediately turned the chamber’s business to the $3.5 trillion “human infrastructure” package which Democrats are hoping to pass via budget reconciliation, a process would not require the Republican support they do not have.

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(WASHINGTON) — Twitter has suspended Republican Rep. Marjorie Taylor Greene’s account for the violation of the social media platform’s policy in posting COVID-19 misinformation, again.

The tweet prompting the action falsely claimed that vaccines are “failing” and don’t reduce spread.

Nearly all COVID-19 hospitalizations and deaths in recent weeks have been among the unvaccinated, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Public health experts continue to warn that vaccines are the most effective way to curb the spread of the coronavirus and the highly contagious delta variant.

The Georgia congresswoman’s tweet is still on the platform, but now stamped with a warning that it “may be misleading.”

A Twitter spokesperson told ABC News that the tweet “was labeled in line with our COVID-19 misleading information policy.”

“The account will be in read-only mode for a week due to repeated violations of the Twitter Rules,” the spokesperson said.

According to Twitter, “read only” mode enables the following:

“If it seems like an otherwise healthy account is in the middle of an abusive episode, we might temporarily make their account read-only, limiting their ability to Tweet, Retweet, or Like content until calmer heads prevail. The person can read their timelines and will only be able to send Direct Messages to their followers,” the website says.

It’s not the first time the platform has taken action against Greene.

Back in June, Greene’s accounted was suspended for 12 hours for COVID-19 misinformation. Monday’s tweet appears to be her fourth strike.

Another violation could get her kicked off the platform for good.

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(NEW YORK) — Andrew Cuomo has said he will step down as governor of New York after many called for his resignation and before a potential impeachment trial.

Cuomo began his press conference Tuesday morning by continuing to defend himself against 11 women who’ve accused him of sexual harassment, stating that the report by New York Attorney General Letitia James was “false” and biased.

The disgraced governor admitted that he “truly offended” the women but contended that there have been “generational and cultural shifts” that precluded him from understanding the necessity for “personal boundaries.”

“In my mind, I’ve never crossed the line with anyone,” Cuomo said. “But I didn’t realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn.”

About halfway through his 20-minute speech he said he couldn’t govern effectively given the current situation, which would “generate months of political and legal controversy,” adding that it was no longer in the “best interest” of New Yorkers for him to continue.

Cuomo ended his address by telling New Yorkers that it was the “honor” of his life to serve as governor.

He will step down in 14 days and will be succeeded by Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, the first woman to hold that post in state history.

Here are Cuomo’s full remarks:

Good morning. Let me begin by thanking Rita Glavin for that powerful presentation. I’d like to address several issues today. First, I’ve always told New Yorkers the facts, before my opinion. So let’s start New York tough with the truth. The Attorney General did a report on complaints made against me by certain women for my conduct. The report said I sexually harassed 11 women. That was the headline people heard and saw, and reacted to. The reaction was outrage. It should have been.

However, it was also false. My lawyers, as you just heard from Rita Glavin, have reviewed the report over the past several days and have already raised serious issues and flaws that should concern all New Yorkers. Because when there is a bias or a lack of fairness in the justice system, it is a concern for everyone — not just those immediately affected. The most serious allegations made against me have no credible factual basis in the report.

And there is a difference between alleged improper conduct and concluding sexual harassment. Now, don’t get me wrong, this is not to say that there are not 11 women who I truly offended. There are. And for that I deeply, deeply apologize. I thought a hug and putting my arm around a staff person while taking a picture was friendly. But she found it to be too forward. I kissed a woman on the cheek at a wedding, and I thought I was being nice, but she felt it was too aggressive.

I have slipped and called people honey, sweetheart and darling. I meant it to be endearing. But women found it dated and offensive. I said on national TV, to a doctor wearing PEE and giving me a COVID nasal swab, you make that gown look good. I was joking, obviously, otherwise I wouldn’t have said it on national TV.

But she found it disrespectful. I take full responsibility for my actions. I have been too familiar with people. My sense of humor can be insensitive and off-putting. I do hug and kiss people casually, women and men. I have done it all my life. It is who I’ve been since I can remember. In my mind, I’ve never crossed the line with anyone. But, I didn’t realize the extent to which the line has been redrawn.

There are generational and cultural shifts that I just didn’t fully appreciate. And I should have. No excuses. The report did bring to light a matter that I was not aware of and that I would like to address. A female trooper relayed a concern that she found disturbing, and so do I. Please let me provide some context. The governor’s trooper detail had about 65 troopers on it. But of the 65, only six women and nine black troopers.

I’m very proud of the diversity of my administration. It is more diverse than any administration in history. And I’m very proud of the fact that I have more women in senior positions than any governor before me. The lack of diversity on the state police detail was an ongoing disappointment for me. In many ways, the governor’s detail is the face of state government that people see. When I attend an event, people see the detail that’s with me. I was continuously trying to recruit more to diversify. On one occasion, I met two female troopers who were on duty at an event.

Both seemed competent and impressive and I asked the state police to see if they were interested in joining. I often meet people, men and women, and if they show promise, I refer them to be interviewed. The state police handled the interviewing and the hiring, and one of the two troopers eventually joined the detail. I got to know her over time and she’s a great professional. And I would sometimes banter with her when we were in the car. We spent a lot of time driving around the state.

This female trooper was getting married, and I made some jokes about the negative consequences of married life. I meant it to be humorous. She was offended, and she was right. The trooper also said that in an elevator I touched her back, and when I was walking past her in a doorway, I touched her stomach. Now, I don’t recall doing it, but if she said I did it, I believe her.

At public events, troopers will often hold doors open or guard the doorways. When I walk past them, I often will give them a grip of the arm, a pat on the face, a touch on the stomach, a slap on the back. It’s my way of saying “I see you. I appreciate you, and I thank you.” I’m not comfortable just walking past and ignoring them. Of course, usually they are male troopers. In this case I don’t remember doing it at all.

I didn’t do it consciously with the female trooper. I did not mean any sexual connotation. I did not mean any intimacy by it. I just wasn’t thinking. It was totally thoughtless, in the literal sense of the word. But it was also insensitive. It was embarrassing to her, and it was disrespectful. It was a mistake, plain and simple. I have no other words to explain it. I want to personally apologize to her and her family.

I have the greatest respect for her and for the New York State Police. Now, obviously in a highly political matter like this, there are many agendas, and there are many motivations at play. If anyone thought otherwise, they would be naive, and New Yorkers are not naive. But I want to thank the women who came forward with sincere complaints.

It’s not easy to step forward, but you did an important service, and you taught me, and you taught others an important lesson. Personal boundaries must be expanded and must be protected. I accept full responsibility. Part of being New York tough is being New York smart. New York smart tells us that this situation and moment are not about the facts. It’s not about the truth. It’s not about thoughtful analysis. It’s not about how do we make the system better. This is about politics, and our political system today is too often driven by the extremes, rashness has replaced reasonableness. Loudness has replaced soundness. Twitter has become the public square for policy debate. There is an intelligent discussion to be had on gender-based actions, on generational and cultural behavioral differences, on setting higher standards and finding reasonable resolutions.

But the political environment is too hot, and it is too reactionary for that now, and it is unfortunate. Now, you know me. I’m a New Yorker, born and bred. I am a fighter, and my instinct is to fight through this controversy, because I truly believe it is politically motivated. I believe it is unfair and it is untruthful. And I believe it demonizes behavior that is unsustainable for society. If I could communicate the facts through the frenzy, New Yorkers would understand, I believe that. But when I took oath as governor, then it changed. I became a fighter, but I became a fighter for you, and it is your best interests that I must serve.

This situation, by its current trajectory, will generate months of political and legal controversy. That is what is going to happen. That is how the political wind is blowing. It will consume government. it will cost taxpayers millions of dollars. It will brutalize people. The state assembly yesterday outlined weeks of process that will then lead to months of litigation — time and money that government should spend managing COVID, guarding against the delta variant, reopening up states, fighting gun violence and saving New York City. All that time would be wasted. This is one of the most challenging times for government in a generation. Government really needs to function today. Government needs to perform. It is a matter of life and death, government operations, and wasting energy on distractions is the last thing that state government should be doing.

And I cannot be the cause of that. New York tough means New York loving. And I love New York. And I love you. And everything I have ever done has been motivated by that love, and I would never want to be unhelpful in any way. I think that given the circumstances, the best way I can help now is if I step aside and let government get back to governing. Therefore that’s what I’ll do, because I work for you. And doing the right thing is doing the right thing for you. Because as we say, it’s not about me. It’s about we.

Kathy Hochul, my lieutenant governor, is smart and competent. This transition must be seamless. We have a lot going on. I’m very worried about the delta variant, and so should you be. But she can come up to speed quickly, and my resignation will be effective in 14 days.

To my team and the hundreds of dedicated administration officials, I want to say this: Thank you. Thank you. And be proud. We made New York state the progressive capital of the nation. No other state government accomplished more to help people, and that is what it’s all about. Just think about what we did. We passed marriage equality, creating a new civil right. Legalized love for the LGBTQ community, and we generated a force for change that swept the nation. We passed the SAFE Act years ago, the smartest gun safety law in the United States of America, and it banned the madness of assault weapons. We’ve saved countless lives with that law.

Fifteen-dollar minimum wage, the highest minimum wage in the nation, lifting millions of families’ standard of living, putting more food on the table and clothes on their backs, and we led the nation with in economic justice with that reform. We have managed every emergency mother nature could throw at us — fires, floods, hurricanes, super storms and pandemics. We balanced the state budget, and we got it done on time — more than any other administration — because government should work and perform. Free college tuition for struggling families. Nobody in this state will be denied their college because of their income. We have built new airports, rail, transit, roads all across this state, faster and better than ever before.

And more than any state in the nation, the most effective green economy program in the nation. We did more for Black and Latino families and any other administration. We did more for working families. We did more for our union brothers and sisters. We did more to battle racism and anti-Semitism. Today so much of the politics is just noise — just static. That’s why people begin to doubt. That’s why people tune out. What matters is improving people’s lives, and that’s what you did. You made this state a better state for the generations that follow, and that is undeniable, inarguable, and true.

In in these ugly, crazy times. I’d like to thank the speaker and the leader for their leadership. Let me say this on a personal note. In many ways I see the world through the eyes of my daughters. They are 26 and 26, twins, and 23. I have lived this experience with and through them. I have sat on the couch with them, hearing the ugly accusations for weeks. I have seen the look in their eyes and the expression on their faces, and it hurt. I want my three jewels to know this. My greatest goal is for them to have better future than the generations of women before them. It is still in many ways a man’s world. It always has been.

We have sexism that is institutionalized. My daughters have more talents and natural gifts than I ever had. I want to make sure that society allows them to fly as high as their wings will take them. There should be no assumptions, no stereotypes, no limitations. I want them to know from the bottom of my heart that I never did and I never would intentionally disrespect a woman or treat any woman differently than I would want them treated. And that is the God’s honest truth. Your dad made mistakes, and he apologized, and he learned from it. And that’s what life is all about. And I know the political process is flawed and I understand your cynicism and distrust and disappointment now. But don’t give up, because government is still the best vehicle for making positive social change.

Lastly, I want to remind all New Yorkers of an important lesson and one that I will carry with me for the rest of my life, and that’s what you New Yorkers did in battling COVID. The enemy landed in New York state. COVID launched the attack here. It came on us from Europe, and we had no idea. It was an ambush. And it was up to New Yorkers to fight back. We were on our own, and it was war. Nurses, doctors, essential workers became our frontline heroes.

Hospitals became the battlegrounds. Streets were still and sirens filled the city’s silence. You refused to give up, and you fought back, and you won, going from the highest infection rate in the nation to one of the lowest. No one thought we could do it, but you did it. You lead the nation, and you show the way forward. And how you did it is what’s most important. You did it together. Not as Black New Yorkers or white New Yorkers. Not as LGBTQ New Yorkers or straight New Yorkers or Democrats or Republicans or Upstate or downstate or Jewish, Muslim, Protestant, Catholic New Yorkers, but as one community. One community, one family, the family of New York. You overcame the naysayers and the haters and unified, and you rose and you overcame. You saved lives, and that was powerful in its effect. It was beautiful to see. And it was an honor to lead. Please remember that lesson. Hold it dear and hold it up high for this nation to sees, cause it is New York state at her finest, creating her legacy, fulfilling her destiny, giving life and animation to the lady in the harbor saying, “We can be better! We can reach higher!”

That is our founding premise and our enduring promise. That is the salvation of this nation that it so desperately needs to hear. Thank you for the honor of serving you. It has been the honor of my life. God bless you.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.

(NEW YORK) — New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced on Tuesday he would resign following a New York attorney general investigation that found he sexually harassed 11 women, including his own staff members.

All eyes are now on Lt. Gov. Kathy Hochul, the woman who will succeed Cuomo on Aug. 24.

Hochul, 62, will be New York’s first female governor in the state’s history.

Hochul, who chaired the governor’s “Enough is Enough” campaign to combat sexual assault on college campuses, tweeted a statement following Cuomo’s announcement, stating his decision to step down was “the right thing to do and in the best interest of New Yorkers.”

“As someone who has served at all levels of government and is next in the line of succession, I am prepared to lead as New York State’s 57th Governor,” she said.

Hochul will serve the remainder of Cuomo’s term, which ends next year. She has not indicated if she will run again. New York faced a similar change in power in 2008 when David Paterson assumed the office following Gov. Eliot Spitzer’s resignation over a prostitution scandal.

Hochul, who has been in her position since 2015, has had a long history with New York state politics.

Born in Buffalo, New York, Hochul earned a B.A. degree from Syracuse University in 1980 and a J.D. from Catholic University four years later.

After graduating from law school, she worked for a private Washington D.C. firm before serving as legal counsel and legislative assistant to U.S. Rep. John LaFalce and later U.S. Sen. Daniel Patrick Moynihan, according to her official New York state bio.

In 1994, Hochul was elected to the Hamburg Town Board in Erie County, New York, and served until 2007 when she was appointed the Erie County Clerk.

“She served as liaison to the local economic development agency and worked to attract new businesses and create jobs following the loss of the [Western New York] manufacturing base,” her bio said.

During her time in office, Hochul also worked to help displaced women. In 2006, she, her mother and her aunt established the Kathleen Mary House, a transitional home for victims of domestic violence.

In 2011, Hochul was elected to the U.S. House of Representatives in a special election for New York’s 26th district. Chris Collins would defeat her in the 2012 election.

During her tenure, she sat on the Armed Services and Homeland Security committees.

Cuomo nominated Hochul to be his lieutenant governor when he successfully ran for his second term in 2014. Cuomo and Hochul won re-election in 2018.

Under the Cuomo administration, Hochul has overseen several state projects and governing groups. She chairs 10 regional economic development councils, which help decide investments for projects in New York and the State Workforce Investment Board.

Cuomo appointed her as co-chair of the Heroin and Opioid Abuse Task Force.

Copyright © 2021, ABC Audio. All rights reserved.